Adventitious Key of Hope
by Bastion Lightz
Summary: Book II: Scattered dreams enter hope, becoming far off remembrance. The thirteen darkness return for light, so line the pieces with me. Before the fall of white, the gray's returning unstopped vengeance. The puzzle that stands as my memories is the truth of our destiny. Disney X Shonen Jump crossover. Sequel to Serendipitous NarutoxHinata/Elsa going through rewrite
1. Origin

_An Advantageous Key of Hope_

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Shonen Jump, or any media affiliated with them.

Kei: Welcome back. Today we bring you a fine message; we will be continuing Naruto's adventure through the Disney World-

Claire: Shut up and do it!

Kei: Okay! But first we have to explain some things that may bring perspective; Naruto's birth was the same year Vanitas was extracted from Yahiko's heart. Yahiko's restoration was that same day, just at night.

Julia: What are you inferring?

Kei: **ignoring her** Five years after Yahiko linked his heart with another the plot of BBS happens, a set two years before the Uchiha Clan Downfall. Nagato's actions have merit at this point when he did the inheritance ceremony on him. Naruto gains the Keyblade at age 12 and goes away for training for 2 and a half years, meaning by the time he's 15 the story is ten years after-

Yusei: Okay, we get it! Introduce the new readers!

Kei: Fine! Welcome to the Key of Hope series! This is Kingdom Hearts using Shonen Jump and Disney characters. That includes all Jump superstars, as you could see in the last story. This is a sequel to Key of Hope, taking place during Kingdom Hearts II and Chain of Memories. Maybe 358/2 Days. We hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 ** _The First Path: Prologue I of III - Origin_**

* * *

Deep into the realm of darkness, a beach lays spread out. A lunar sun shines a blue light upon the crystal black surface of the sea, illuminating the stone formations like skeletons of dragons plaguing the beach. A lone man sits on a black and blue rock, dressed in the black coats known so well by many.

A portal of darkness opens not far away from him, and a shorter person steps out. He also wears the dark cloak. "You have arrived," speaks the older male in a deep, masculine voice. "So, I've been to see him, and he really is a lot like you."

"Who are you?" asks the young boy, not demanding but more hopefully.

"I am all that is left, or maybe I'm all there ever was."

"I meant your name." This is said more sternly.

"You already know my name. What about you?" He turns his head to the younger one. "My name may be of no importance, but what do you know your true name?"

…

 _As the battle between Light and Darkness reached a close, the worlds would soon come to appreciate the help Naruto, Donald, Goofy and the others provided to stave off the invasion of darkness. But, as this happens, someone else would be involved in another event that would connect back to these dark events. Naruto, after all, wasn't the only hero in another world. Here is the adventure of one of them._

"Take this!" Mickey shouts before flipping in the air. He easily slices a Heartless with his Keyblade, the Star Seeker, before moving to the next. He summons a sphere of light and fires it at a Large Body.

"That was hard..." He says with a tired sigh. The little mouse Keyblade wielder looks to the side to see other people fighting off against the Heartless with various results. "Looks like everyone here is doing well, but I need to get there… Maybe if I go to another world."

Mickey looks around to see a strange sight, a kid no older than Naruto running away from the Heartless. He jumps over, feeling compelled to help especially since he's the only one running away and literally doing nothing. All the others have some form of ability they're using, but he seems to be the only one. "Watch out!"

The boy ducks under to dodge the blade and it slashes to destroy a Heartless. The boy hits the ground face forward, rubbing his face from the cuts. He has green eyes with black curly hair that has similar emerald highlights. He wears a school uniform Mickey does not recognize, but he has a certain light in his eyes that feels great. The mouse asks, "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah! Th-thanks!" says the boy as he picks himself up. "What Quirk do you have?"

"Uh, Quirk? Well, I don't know if I can be seen as quirky..."

"No, I mean… Wait..." The boy then looks over Mickey examining him. "You don't look really familiar. With these other monsters showing up it's not hard to think you're not the same. In fact..." And from there he just dissolves into murmuring.

"You okay?"

"Huh?" is his response, totally unaware of his problem. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Well, your world's about to sink into darkness," Mickey tells him, to which his eyes shoot up in shock. "But don't worry. I can fix everything; I just need to wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?" The boy looks up at the sky, seeing the former blue veil has turned black and red. The world itself becomes as dark as the night sky, with yellow cracks spreading throughout. The planet implodes, being absorbed into the dark hole of the other realm.

Mickey opens his eyes seeing his location. Within the Realm of Darkness, he stands on rocky terrain surrounded by thorns and the night sky. "Hey, it worked. Now, I gotta find it. It must be the same world."

"Same world?" This shocks the mouse, who turns around to see the boy from earlier standing just behind. "What happened?!"

"How… How did you…" This he can't believe; once a world falls to darkness its inhabitants either end up in another world or fall into darkness. If anything, he shouldn't be right there with him.

"You said you can solve this right? Can you save everyone? If I'm here too I would like to help!"

Mickey looks up at him and shrugs. "Well, I did drag you into this… Let's go!" The two then take off into the darkness, Mickey summoning his Keyblade to take out a Heartless coming down at him from above.

The boy looks at the strange sword. A light appears in his irises upon seeing it, as if there's something about it to him. "What is that, a stick?"

"No, it's the Keyblade," says Mickey.

"Oh, it's a sword," he says realizing what he meant through that. "Why is it shaped like that? Doesn't look like it can cut anything."

"You'd be surprised." The landscape turns dark, taking away any of their vision. They look up to see someone coming down to them. Her battered, weathered and torn apart clothes throw him off, but the hair is unmistakable. Mickey gasps saying, "Konan," and jumps up to catch her. He grabs the star object that left her hands and slows her descent.

The blue-haired beauty opens her eyes, and she sees her friend from long ago Mickey. Groaning, she says, "Mickey? What… How did you-"

"Mickey, look!" The green haired kid points just down the now stone road they've appeared on, at a hoard of Shadows gathering together to ransack them.

"More denizens of darkness..." says the woman before summoning her Keyblade.

"We call them Heartless," says Mickey as he does the same action.

As Konan reclaims her Keyblade, Mickey walks over. He says, "Gosh, I never thought I'd find you in the realm of darkness."

The tired Keyblade Master, with a withered voice, asks, "Have you seen Nagato or Yahiko?" With a shake of his head, that confirms her fears. "I'm sorry. This world's darkness is getting to me…"

The boy walks forward. He takes her hand, saying, "It's alright. You'll be okay."

She looks down at the shorter teen, who feels surprised yet rejuvenated hearing him. "Who… Who are you?"

The boy realizes his position and backs away, faintly turning red while looking away. "Oh, I'm-" He stutters a bit. "Izuku Midoriya!" he eventually makes out. "Nice to meet you, Konan." Still stuttering, and a little bit of whisper.

Konan stares a bit at him, before turning over to Mickey who asks, "How come you're in this place? We've actually been looking for ya for a long time."

"A long time? How long was I gone?"

"About ten years." She widens her eyes in shock, her faded make up finally flaking.

"I see… After we last spoke, I took Yahiko somewhere safe and went after Nagato. But he was possessed." Her fingers clench in anger. "He was about to fall to darkness, so I stayed here to give him a chance." Her own drama is put to the side in her mind as she asks, "What about you? How did you two end up here?"

"It's the Heartless… They've been attacking worlds and taking their hearts. Any worlds without a heart vanish into darkness." This shocks Izuku and Konan, the former of whom were unaware of the situation. "I found a way to stop this, but I had to come here. So I stuck around a world that was falling to darkness in order to pass through."

"What for?" asks the exasperated teen.

"We just need to lock the Door to Darkness from both sides, using a Keyblade from the Realm of Light and a Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness. That way, we can protect the world. That's why I'm here," says Mickey as he explains his objective. He then sighs. "But, getting into the realm of darkness is harder than I thought; the paths you can cross have become unstable. That's why I stayed in a consumed world."

"But, the worlds are still in danger…" A thought crosses her mind. "Did Nagato make it back?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen either of you three since then."

As they're conversing, Izuku's busy murmuring. "Then with that logic, other worlds exist. So technically Mickey and Konan are aliens, and that's why he didn't know about Quirks. But what's this about Keyblades and the Realm of Darkness? Are there..."

"Uh, are you okay?" asks Konan, noticing his creepy murmuring.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I do that..." Izuku turns red covering his entire head with both arms.

Seeing his cute shyness she becomes more confident. "Well, I can't stay hanging around here forever. Let's go find this Keyblade, and get out of here. Wherever Nagato is, he's fighting his darkness, but Yahiko won't wake up unless I'm there."

"Yahiko?" Izuku murmurs.

"We'll worry about getting out later. First comes the Door to Darkness; if we can't stop this no one will be safe." With that, Mickey heads down the road.

"Ten years, and he hasn't changed at all." Konan follows, and Izuku rushes after. As they run, she looks back at him briefly. 'Why is he here though? And why...'

As they venture the darkness, a vector of light shines just upon ahead on the beach. The group rushes forward faster, until becoming completely eclipsed by what may be the sun. They step out into focus, where the skies turn blue to reveal a familiar landscape. Both Mickey and Izuku know nothing of this place, but to Konan, "This place… I know this world! It's where I met those two girls and that boy."

"You know this place?" asks the timid teen.

"I visited once," she tells him, solemnly looking across the desolated landscape and blackened waterfall separated by two statues. "I met a girl and her friend being attacked by Heartless and saved them. I then met a boy, someone I considered passing a Keyblade onto. But, I saw something inside of him. Something that frightened me, a darkness concealed by two lights, not of his own. I couldn't, not if his friend had already received Nagato's."

An idea comes to Mickey. "Konan, what was that boy's name?"

She cups her chin thinking. The mechanisms in her mind crank up and down. "It's been a while… His name was Naruto." Mickey scratches his own chin before moving towards the waterfall. "What?"

"We're getting close! That same boy's been helping me out!" he shouts, before noticing a single collection of darkness nearby. "If this world is where he first got the Keyblade, then its counterpart should somewhere be here! The Kingdom Chain of Darkness is on the dark side of their world."

Mickey finds a hole where the collection is and steps inside. With Konan and Izuku, they look deeper into its depths at a door. Upon opening it, a shining gold light peers out like a hungry spider. The blue-haired beauty steps in first, followed by Izuku and then Mickey. The black mouse speaks, "There it is! The Kingdom Chain of Darkness..."

"So this is where it's been this whole time?" asks the green-haired teenager. Though he's still questioning how a sword shaped like that can help save the world let alone cut monsters, he's convinced with what he's seen so far. As Mickey goes to the key, Izuku asks, "What's next?"

"We have the Keyblade from the dark realm, so now we need to reach the Door to Darkness. Unfortunately, the door between the two realms won't let a heart with light pass through. That's why only darkness keeps spilling out. We can lock the door by using the two keys, but someone else needs to do it from the other side too."

"Then, let me be the one-"

"Sorry, but that job's been taken." Mickey reaches for it, but then the ground begins to shake. He takes the sword, just as a blinding light consumes them.

…

 **We now move onto a year later. After Naruto, Donald, Goofy, Sasuke, and Mickey had closed the Door to Darkness, events happened to them that will be recorded over time. As** **Omakeys. But first, we come to a person who has a strong connection to them and their future.**

One Year Later…

…

A group of friends hangs out together in their secret hideout not too far from a train station. The outside seems to be stuck in perpetual twilight even for an afternoon such as then. These four stand in a circle staring at a photo of one of them: the first is a spiky light brown haired guy with a black shirt holding a skull, underneath a gray vest with camouflage pants and shoes. The second is another guy, slightly pudgy, with tall black hair made so by a black headband, wears a short-sleeved white shirt underneath a burgundy jersey with blue pants, gray soles, and a bandanna. The girl of the quartet has short brown hair with twin strands that rest on her shoulders, which are covered in an orange flower patterned t-shirt, khaki capri pants and creamy black and yellow shoes.

"What's this?" asks the first guy.

"Well Hayner, this is a photo of me." These are the words of the fourth member of the square friends. Like Hayner, he has spiky hair, though he is blond with overtones of silver tinting it and he has much more bangs than any normal teen should have. He wears a short-sleeved high collared white and black jacket that contains overtones of boxes in the opposite colors to make a checker pattern that reaches down like a haori. The inside of the haori is reversed and it's held together by a black string. He wears underneath it an orange shirt with a blue flame design that rises up. He has beige pant legs attached to black pants by the hem of his leg triceps, and shoes that contain shades of gray and black with red laces. He also has a wristband with the same checker pattern on the left arm.

"You went there?" asks the one with tall hair.

"That's right Pence." The photo has him and an older man in a restaurant, with the former eating. "Since I was his first customer when he took over the shop, we took a picture together."

"It's a really nice photo. Oh!" says the girl, her bright green eyes suddenly perking up. The others look to her realizing what's good. "You can say it now!"

"About time," says Pence.

"So, what did the guy who stole it look like?" asks Hayner.

He hesitates because what really happened is rather strange to him. So he has to lie. "Hard to say; the pictures were just lying there."

"Then how do we prove we weren't the ones who took 'em?" is his defiant response. "The whole problem was that everyone thought we took the pictures because that demon Oga told everyone."

Pence picks up another of the photos, which has a woman hugging the blushing, handsome blond. "Hey, it's a girl," he says with that jeering tone guys make.

"You look really happen," says the girl with a short laugh.

"Quiet Olette." And everyone laughs at him.

Pence then notices something. Looking at the first two pictures and then the next, the puzzle in his head becomes perfect. He says to everyone, "So is it just me, or does everyone else see the connection?"

"Connection?" Everyone turns to him in a sudden spin.

Pence picks up all the pictures and examines them. "If you look closely, you'll realize that all these pictures are about Xutaron."

"They are?" asks the blond now named Xutaron. They then look at the next few photos: Xutaron with his friends at the gates of an abandoned mansion, Xutaron getting his butt kicked by resident badass Oga, and Xutaron receiving sea salt ice cream from an elderly woman.

"Oh!" Olette suddenly lets out. "So that's why everyone assumed it was us."

"You mean that baby trotting blockhead didn't go blaming us after all?" This is what Hayner adds, a certain scorn in his tone.

"You think the thief would want to steal the real Xutaron?" asks Pence.

"Like anyone would want this bonehead," adds Olette, turning to him with a taunting grin that flashes like the drowning twilight.

"Oh, thanks!" They all share a brief laugh, just as the clock tower rings in the background outside.

That's the signal for the end of the day. Hayner, Pence, and Olette split from Xutaron, the latter of whom walks home down the street. His heart beats faster as he thinks back to what happened; the thief was a floating white thing that zipped through the air like a levitating serpent and stole the photos from them originally. He chased them to the abandoned mansion where it attacked him. He tried to fight back using the Struggle bats everyone who partakes in the Struggle competitions use but couldn't land a hit until it transformed. It became a key-like sword and guided him in the battle to destroy it. That's how he really received the photos.

What is happening to him?

…

Deep in a lab elsewhere, a couple of men watch over Xutaron. One has bandages wrapped over his face while the other is wearing the black coat. The man in the coat asks, "They were real, weren't they Kira?"

"Yes. Those Organization miscreants have found us. It's only a matter of time until they send someone stronger. Youko must hurry."

* * *

Kei: And so, we thank you for reading.

Yusei: Next time, we continue part two of this prologue. And yes, we won't bore you with too much like in the actual game.

Kei: It'll be nice to take a break from Yugioh for a while to do this.


	2. Wake Up the Hero

_**Adventitious Key of Hope**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Shonen Jump, or any media affiliated with them.

Omakey...

Night falls over at just the entrance of a forest. Donald and Goofy lie sleeping in the grass, with Naruto on fireguard. A chronograph made from his Stop magic clocks down to sunrise. He yawns resting on a log. "I wonder how long we'll be traveling... Where did Pluto go anyway?"

With a sigh he checks the clock, noticing it will soon be Donald's shift. But then he hears a noise. Getting up, he walks along the road. Nothing but the grass blowing from the wind and the silver light of sister moon. 'I really need some sleep.'

"Along the road ahead lies something you need," says a mysterious voice. He goes on the edge looking around for the source. After turning around a second time, he spots a person in a black coat. This slightly girly voice says, "However, to reclaim it, you must lose something that is dear to you."

The person disappears. "That wasn't him... So who?"

He goes back to Donald and Goofy waking them up. "Guys, get up! I found one of those guys in black!"

"What?!" Donald yawns before grabbing his scepter. Goofy gets his shield, and they follow down the path it leads.

This night trip eventually leads them to a black void surrounding a white continent. The only thing of interest is the golden castle plastered in the midst of it. A familiar one at that, but not to them.

Naruto looks at the door, before curiously opening it. The interior has a Romanesque design of white. There also exists symbols neither of them has ever seen. Goofy then asks, "Is it okay to just barge in?"

"We gotta look everywhere if we're gonna find the King," says Donald.

"He is?"

"Something just told me he'd be here," is Donald's answer.

"Weird. I was thinking that too." Goofy chuckles after giving his response.

"Wait, you both were too? That doesn't sound right..." Out from Naruto's coat crawls out Jiminy Cricket, having been silent and out of focus since his introduction back at Disney Castle yet with everyone since. "It can't be just a coincidence."

"I was feeling that way as well... Maybe there's something up with this place..." Naruto thinks further on about it. "Let's get to the bottom of this."

"Don't you mean the top?" All four turn to the door and spot the person in the black coat.

"You!" Naruto immediately summons his Keyblade, as the door slowly closes. They're practically trapped there. "You're the one who led me here!"

"Time for some magic!" Donald casts Thunder, or so he thought. When he tried, nothing comes out. He then attempts Fire, and then Blizzard, only for nothing to happen. "Why isn't it working?"

"What did you do?!" Naruto shouts, demanding to know who this guy is.

"It's obvious isn't it?" says the now recognized to be a male person. "Ever since you stepped in here, you have forgotten every technique, spell and attack you've known. That is the magic of Castle Oblivion."

"What?" They look up around them.

"This castle takes away every memory from you. To find is to lose, and to lose is to find." He then moves in towards Naruto, passing him by just like the guy from before at Hollow Bastion.

He falls flat on his behind. "What the?" Naruto then gets back up, ready to pulverize him. "What did you do?!" He jumps up and slashes him, only to hit an afterimage of rose petals.

The guy returns just above the steps leading further into the building. He takes out a blue card with a crown shaped top, saying, "I sampled this from your memories. This is the key to reclaiming your memories."

He throws the card to Naruto, who catches it. "If you wish to learn more, come forth. Will you lose and claim anew, or claim anew only to lose? I am Marluxia by the way."

Naruto looks down at his card. "... I'm not good at card games though. Where's Yugi?"

End Omakey...

* * *

 _ **The II Path: Prologue – Wake Up the Hero**_

* * *

Deep in a lab elsewhere, a couple of men watch over Xutaron. One has bandages wrapped over his face while the other is wearing the black coat. The man in the coat asks, "They were real, weren't they Kira?"

"Yes. Those Organization miscreants have found us. It's only a matter of time until they send someone stronger. Youko must hurry."

Back in the laboratory, the hooded men converse. The one in the black coat looks over at the man in red, Kira, while juggling a pink, mini bag single-handedly. He asks, "Is it really that hard to make a beach?"

"We'd be giving our enemies another entry point," replies Kira, tapping away at his multi-screen computer.

"And this?"

"What, you don't like free food?" Kira then laughs, looking to the side to pick up some notes from atop a charred book. Seeing the words D...h ..te on it angers him to a degree, but he calms himself. "Objects from that town must be kept from reality. Delete it."

He grasps the bag tightly in his fingers before walking away. "The day is already over. His restoration is getting closer."

Tomorrow…

It's Thursday, three days left until summer vacation ends. Xutaron exits the hangout spot with his eyes focused squarely on the main goal of today, meeting up with his friends at the train station. He got a message from Hayner saying that they would meet there later today.

"We needed cash last time to get to the beach. So what's changed?" He doesn't honestly want to remember yesterday, how they gathered the munny from odd jobs to get to the beach and it was all stolen by some guy in a black hood.

On his way up to the station, he spots Olette and Pence coming his way. "Xutaron," they say, before walking towards him. And like time is broken at a standstill, they freeze in place.

"W-What?" The confused teen walks over to them, only to come face to face with a red-haired beauty of a woman standing in front of him. She has fair skin with violet-blue eyes, covered completely in a white dress that doesn't hide her slender figure. Her soft looking lips purse into a smile. He's too entranced by her to actually speak.

"Hello, Xutaron." This sets up a flag in his mind as flagrant as her hair color. "I've always wanted to me you." She then walks by him, her waist-length crimson hair swinging to and fray as she passes down the elevation to leave his line of sight.

And everything resumes. "Olette dragged me into shopping with her," says Pence, as if nothing happened. Clearly, neither he nor Olette saw the girl.

"Wait, didn't you guys see..." He pauses, confused as hell. "What's going on?" He looks down to where she went. 'Was she going to that mansion?'

His friends stare at him, as the one with tall hair speaking, "He's stalling."

"Very well." She sighs before dragging Pence away. "We'll see you at the station later then Xutaron." As Pence complains, Xutaron keeps his eyes on where the girl left.

"Well, I got time." The spiky blond rushes off down the road.

Passing through town he enters the forest that separates Twilight Town from the mysterious residence. The darkened road puts him on edge, just as he sees something that catches his eye. The color gray has him in a frightened mood. He steps back avoiding the monster coming his way, realizing they're chasing after him.

"Get away from me!" he shouts, rushing off to escape what may be certain death. He reaches the sandlot, still the cause of pursuit. There he spots to his annoyance Oga and his gang of buddies. Oga himself is a tall bastard with brown hair and dark eyes, wearing some mess consisting of a brown jacket over a white shirt and jeans with boots. On his back hangs a baby with green hair and a pacifier in his mouth.

"Hey, chicken wuss! This sandlot ain't for you!" shouts the demon ogre, until he notices the white things.

There's a blue haired girl wearing wrappings around her upper body under a white jacket but over blue pants. Next to her is an even bigger man with spiky red-orange hair, dressed in a school uniform. "Who's that?" asks the girl.

"Who cares? It's already pissing me off," says Oga before clenching his fist. The white things come after them.

Just as the trio is about to attack, they freeze in another lock. Xutaron sees this and realizes what he saw earlier was real. "Oh no."

One of those white things hits him square in the face, sending him into a tree. He hits the ground with a painful thud, blood dripping down his nose. "Not good..."

"Xutaron, the Keyblade!" That's just when he hears that voice, the familiar voice of the girl he met earlier. He scans the area and looks up to see her on a balcony, just after she says, "Use the Keyblade to fight the Nobodies!"

"Huh?" He then spots one of the Nobodies coming at him and shields himself.

Upon doing so, he ends up in a world of utter blackness. Xutaron stands up, realizing he's not dead thankfully and taps the floor to check its stability. He looks down, and the darkness peels away at his feet, whitewashing to become a stained glass known as a Dive to the Heart. The platform itself consists of a familiar spiky headed blond boy resting while holding the Keyblade. In circles are four friends: a duck, a dog, a boy and a girl. He spots the Nobody Dusks dancing and parading outside of the platform.

 _Power sleeps within you._

Xutaron opens his mouth to question who spoke, only for no words to leave his lips. The words themselves enter his head.

 _But to use it, you must give it form. Now, choose._

He looks over and sees three items appearing from nothing, a sword, a shield and a scepter, all with that Mickey symbol on it. He goes to the sword believing it to be the best possible decision, only for him to change his mind. For some reason, his heart is calling out to the shield.

 _So, you have taken the power of the Defender._

Taking it, the other items disappear. His shield transforms into the Keyblade. He tests its weight, a feat he didn't do before and almost got seriously hurt because of, before smirking. The Dusks roam towards the platform creepily, and he gladly swings to keep it at bay. "It won't be like before," he says, ignoring the fact that he can speak now. He then holds up a stance, wielding the Keyblade like a samurai.

With both hands on the hilt, the Keyblade is lifted facing his left, a clear reflection in the silver teeth showing what's behind him. As he does, he asks himself why he is doing this. It's not from memory, but instinct, as if his heart remembers fighting this way.

One Dusk swirls through the air at his blind spot, though he knew it was coming. He slips underneath the Dusk and swipes upward, slashing through the being and creating white clusters from its death. The other two come down from above, jabbing their arms and legs like blades. Xutaron blocks the first two strikes before jumping back away from them.

He throws the Keyblade via Strike Raid, a technique he only just remembered, and destroyed the second in its path. The Keyblade spins and curves before coming his way like a boomerang, and catches it. The Dusk moves in up close swiping at him. He jumps back dodging the attacks, his cloak receiving tears from near misses. He watches as it comes in close, before flipping to the left while also striking it in the head. The Dusk bounces a bit before it explodes into white dust.

With his victory, he dismisses the Keyblade. He then sighs, just before a door appears on the platform he stands. Xutaron looks to the door and hears the voice again.

 _Be careful. Beyond that door lies a completely different world. But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking._

Nodding, he steps in passing through the doorway. He comes out on the other side standing on another platform. This one is connected to a bridge that leads to another platform, consisting of stained glass. He rushes up the path, occasionally summoning his Keyblade just as more Dusks attack him out of nowhere. This continues until reaching the third platform, which also has a door. He passes through.

From that door, Xutaron reaches the new platform. Breathing out a sigh of depression he takes a moment to gaze up at the source of light from above. His instincts, however, kick in, and he quickly turns around to face the new threat behind him. "What?" Rising up from the darkness appears a giant version of those Dusks from earlier, with glove-like hands and four tentacles on its shoulder like a collar.

He hoists the Keyblade up over his shoulder prepared to fight when he gets blindsided by a powerful light. His eyes finally adjust, no longer blinded. He sees the Twilight Thorn floating in front of him, though he himself is chained in the air by bonds of light. 'What the?'

It moves in close, staring deep at him. The white demon makes a groaning sound before rearing its left arm claw thing back. It then swings, but at the last second, he breaks free from all but one of his bindings. He then slams the Keyblade, sending it twirling back. 'Whoa! Where'd this strength come from?'

He hangs from the bonding on his left arm and glares at the Twilight Thorn. It, however, won't fall for the same thing, and instead pulls him free. Xutaron is thrown into the air viciously. Instincts overtake him once more, allowing him to dodge an attack that would slam him into the floor. He slashes, knocking off a piece of its face.

Xutaron lands and the giant Dusk hits the floor. It then slithers off stage, giving the Keyblade wielder a moment to breathe. "Where is he gonna attack from next?" He scans his surroundings looking at his openings. 'It's gonna go for a blind spot. But where?'

The platform then shakes, and Xutaron slips down. He stabs his key into the floor to save himself. "That damn…" He looks down at a light from below, a sphere of destruction formed by the Twilight Thorn. It flips him off the platform and throws the sphere at him.

Falling, Xutaron aims his sight at the center of the orb. 'Let's see…' His eyes flash red as power explodes off of him, and he throws a Strike Raid. It cuts through and destroys the sphere, causing an explosion that blows back the monster backward.

They both hit the ground with a mighty thud, the Thorn almost breaking its neck. Xutaron sees his sword stabbed in the platform next to him from the fall, and he picks himself up with a groan to draw it out. "That's it." He then slams the Keyblade in its head, knocking off more of its pieces and piling up lots of damage.

The Thorn recovers and flies up, knocking him back. Xutaron slips off the platform but stabs his sword into the floor to spin himself back around. The Thorn slithers through the air like a flying snake, or those annoying Dusks, and wiggles its claw arms to crush him. Xutaron jumps away to avoid, the power surrounding him earlier bursting out in a red aura. He gains enough strength to slash and deflect its claws, before getting blindsided by black and white thread thorns that strike him. He rolls over in pain, his clothes ripped, and pushes his body back up.

'Ever since I came here, my power's been growing. I feel so much stronger, that attacks like those don't hurt as much as they should.' He recovers quite easily, shaking off the pain from earlier, before turning his eyes to the Thorn.

Light shines from his Keyblade as the thorn threads fire at him. The aura around him propels him upward, gliding along the thorn vines until he reaches his face. His Keyblade charged with power, he slices through its face and kicks off. Though upon landing, his Keyblade disappears. "Uh oh."

The Twilight Thorn groans before stumbling. The damage Xutaron dealt with it has weakened it considerably. It falls over on top of him, who screams upon impact. The darkness around him slowly swallows the teen, who groans unable to break free.

A hand suddenly reaches out and grabs his, pulling him free from his bonding. A bright light sets him free from his confounds, bringing him to a bright white room. Among the many things in the room exist doors with crown tops. Sitting on a chair is the girl from before. She smiles waving to him, saying, "My name is Youko, Xutaron."

After a slight pause, he slowly repeats her name: "Youko…"

She then says to him, "Xutaron, do you remember who you really are?"

"Who… I really am?"

"You are-" A portal of darkness opens up beside her and out steps the guy from before. "Oh. Look, I was just-"

"Say no more, Youko," he tells her. Xutaron looks at him, before registering his voice.

"But if no one tells him, Xutaron will..."

"It'll only be harder on him. It's best he doesn't know the truth."

"Hey, now I know why that voice sounds familiar! You're that pickpocket!" True to his memory, yesterday Xutaron lost the munny for the beach because he stole it. No one saw him so no one believed Xutaron, for all he told him was if he could feel someone from his memories.

The man simply raises a hand, summoning a portal behind him. Xutaron turns around to see it, only for the man in the black coat to push him in.

Timeskip…

Xutaron slowly opens his eyes as he regains his consciousness. Though to his horror, there's a naked baby on top of his face. So, he screams.

"Beel, get off me!" shouts Xutaron as he holds the baby up. "Why are you on my face anyway?"

"It made a great picture," says Oga standing just beside him. Though his sudden appearance shocks Xutaron and makes him drop baby Beel. Landing on his butt, the infant drops his pacifier. The baby looks up before tears form in his eyes. "Oh shi-"

And soon, both of them are covered in 100,000 volts of electricity. Finally, something normal for Xutaron!

After recovery, Xutaron lies on the floor while Oga walks off with Beel. "What happened with those things?"

"They ran off. Guess they got the lesson; no one shows up in my town and causes trouble!" he tells him. "Oh yeah, don't chicken out on the tournament tomorrow!"

Xutaron looks up thinking about what that means, before turning his head up to the steps leading up to the hideout. That's when he spots his friends, including an irritant Hayner running off. "Hey!" He chases after them.

Xutaron follows them back to the hideout, where he spots everyone looking at each other from him. Pence looks up, being the first one to finally speak. "Hey, Xutaron. You were hanging out with Shrek today?"

"No, it's not like that. I ran into trouble, and he just happened to be there," he lies, not knowing if he should tell them the full truth. It's not even a full lie, just him keeping some things quiet. He then checks the time and looks at the others. "So, how was the beach? Wasn't that today?"

"We didn't go," Olette says, answering his question. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Oh…Sorry. But hey, we can go tomorrow right?"

"I promised to be somewhere then," Hayner states.

"Oh. Oh!" He realizes what exactly he meant; tomorrow is the Struggle Tournament, where he and the strongest competitors face each other in a tournament for the grand prize of a statue for the four of them to share. As long as one of them wins. "That's right… Almost forgot."

Hayner gets up, before walking off disgruntled. "I'm outta here."

The day comes to an end with that, with everyone heading home to prepare for tomorrow. As they do, Xutaron gripes about what he did. As well as having another dream about a certain someone.

Elsewhere…

In the dark lab, the hooded man and Kira watch over the events that took place. With its conclusion, the faceless asks, "Was that Youko made of data?"

"No. Youko hijacked the data herself. Look what she's done now… She's become out of my control, considering she's just a Nobody." Kira then slams the desk hard after speaking.

"Chill out."

Kira growls under his breath. "It doesn't matter. As long as she does what she was assigned, the end result will still be the same. What befalls Xutaron won't concern us."

The Next Day…

The next day, Xutaron reaches the sandlot bright and early despite the eternal twilight. There's a square white stage set up with everyone gathering for the duel, stands for everyone to sit and watch, and concessions for all types of unhealthy snacks people want. Pence and Olette are in the stands getting themselves situated.

Xutaron makes it there just in time to see his friends, waving to them as they to him. He walks over to the stage to meet with the other competitors and the judge. The judge and his stylish mustache say, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! It's time for summer's most sizzling clash!"

People begin cheering. "That's right! It's time for the Struggle! And the title match!"

"Who will be the one to break through the ranks, and take on our champion?!" People chant out the four names taking part in the competition: Oga, Xutaron, Hayner, and Kunieda.

The champion stands in the center wielding an umbrella. She's a blond bombshell dressed gothic lolita style, caring for baby Beel. All the guys cheer hard with her appearance. "Only the winner of the Struggle Competition can take on our champion Hildegarde."

"As if I care," she says, turning her eyes over to the audience, including Oga.

"With the crowd fired up, you know what comes next! Let's…" Everyone at once then says, "STRUGGLE!"

An assistant comes up and speaks out introducing the finalists. "Now to bring to you the bad boys who made it through the preliminaries!" The finalists come up onto the stage as Hilda steps down. "Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee: Tatsumi Oga!

"Leader of the Red Tails, Kunieda Aoi!

"Underground favorite and local attitude problem, Hayner!

"And finally, newcomer and favorite customer, Xutaron! One will win this sweltering struggle! One will take away the summa cum laude of Struggle – The Four Crystal Trophy! Only ONE will-"

"WE GET IT ALREADY! START THE COMPETITION!" shouts Hayner, Oga, and Hilda.

The assistant backs down from their unison. "O-Okay. After a brief interval, we shall begin. The first contestants will be Hayner and Xutaron."

The two remain on stage as the other two drop down. Both receive their specialized batons, Hayner's been an attack focused one while Xutaron's has a guard. The blond teen looks down at the floor, away from his friend's face.

"Hayner, I'm sorry about yesterday," he says.

"What, you still worried about that?" asks his buddy. "You've got to learn to let stuff go."

"I have got a lot on my mind ever since that burglar…"

"… Sorry," Hayner says before he realizes something. "Wait, what am I sorry for?"

"And now, the first round shall begin! Who will win: Hayner, or Xutaron?" Their friendship reestablished, they prepare themselves for battle. Xutaron forms his samurai stance as Hayner bounces waving his baton.

"Here it comes!" Hayner jumps towards Xutaron attempting to jab him. The blond blocks his strike by pushing his weapon upward, causing the baton to miss and go over his head. He steps back just as Hayner rapidly swings. His precise strikes almost hit home, until Xutaron slides along the baton to reach his arm. He pulls him down and then with the hilt jabs him in the throat, sending him falling backward.

A fury of blue balloons shoot out from the impact, and Hayner lays on the ground in pain. He tries to get up but fails to choke. Xutaron looks in shock at what happened. He's so much stronger than he thought he'd be. "Hayner! I'm so sorry!"

Hayner groans feeling the pain of Xutaron's thrust. "Ah man… I thought I'd last longer than that!"

"And the winner is, Xutaron! Not even friendship will slow these guys down!"

The crowd watches in shock at the sudden change in development. In an instant Xutaron won. They all begin clapping, with even Oga impressed. Hayner is helped up by Xutaron. "You got tougher lately."

"Yeah. Thanks for noticing. Guess you taught me well."

He laughs at that, before patting Xutaron on the shoulder. "Go win the match for us."

Oga walks up on stage passing by Hayner, shouting, "Out of the way!"

Xutaron looks to his left and spots Aoi standing there suddenly. "What the?" She looks back at him with an eerie smile. Aoi turns her eyes to Oga, and instead of that strange look she usually has looking at him, there's this dark glare.

Hayner and Xutaron step back from the stage allowing the fight to begin. As the announcer says, "Let the second match begin! Aoi vs Oga!"

The two square off on each other, both holding an offensive based baton. Aoi moves in first, swiping at Oga's left. He steps back, already on the defensive from her millions of swings in a single stroke.

Seeing this, Hayner comments, "Was she always this fast? I mean, she's fast, but I can't even see her moves!"

"Oga's holding back because she's a girl, like always," says Xutaron knowing just how he is.

Oga blocks attacks on the left and right, before kicking her left leg. This allows him to wipe her face and knock out a balloon. He rushes for it shouting, "You're mine," only for Aoi to quickly recover and spin, knocking him off his feet. Seven yellow balloons fall out as he rolls along the ground.

"Whoa… I'm not sure what just happened..." says the announcer, before he sees the result is clear. "But the winner is Aoi, in a shocking up twist!"

Some time passes as everyone including the fighters take a break. Aoi sits on the sidelines ignoring her friends, while Oga walks from the sandlot with Beel on his back.

As he does, he passes by Xutaron. "That's not Kunieda. Thrash her," he says, before making his exit.

The announcer goes to Hayner, saying, "It looks like Oga is retiring from the tournament."

"Really? Yeah, that means I'm in 3rd place!" As he jumps up and down happily, the final round gets announced.

Xutaron steps up on stage, watching Aoi join him. She draws her baton like a sword, eyes focused on him. He picks up his baton and prepares himself. "And now for the finals! Xutaron vs Aoi!"

Xutaron rushes forward wielding his samurai stance, but that's when the world around them freezes. "Again?" He then looks up at her, being the only one moving, if only slightly. She smiles, before dissolving into white dust, and turning into a Dusk.

Two more Dusks appear behind Xutaron, and he shouts, "Again?!" His baton transforms into the Keyblade. "Again…" Used to it appearing out of nowhere again, he goes along with it and swings to knock back the first. He jumps up high, a feat he didn't realize he could do, and lands outside of the triangle of entrapment the Dusks had him in.

He leaps in slashing through a Dusk coming at him from his 3 o' clock, a stream of light sparking from the trail his blade made. He follows up stabbing the second causing it to slide across the stage. The third comes down from above to kick him.

Xutaron's instincts kick in, allowing him to dip to the side avoiding that strike. With the same momentum in diving, he slashes the Dusk destroying it. The last comes in to headbutt him, which is met with a simple dodge. Using his free hand he grabs its leg and slams him into the ground, before stabbing the Dusk.

With it gone, he turns his eyes to the surroundings. Nothing's changed; it's all still frozen. It's way too quiet too, only excluding that clapping sound. "Who's clapping?"

"Way to go Xutaron! Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!" A cocky, cheery voice speaks. He turns around to see who's talking despite time frozen. At the farthest end of the ring away from him is a black coat wearing adult, sounds like one, his face masked by the hood. "What, no bells ringing? It's me, Axel!"

He pulls the hood open, revealing himself as a red, spiky-haired - almost flaming - guy with exotic green eyes and teal marks under them. Xutaron looks at him, nothing even remotely familiar about him. "Axel?"

"Oh man, you really did lose your memory. No wonder the Dusks couldn't bring you back." Flames explode from the palms of his hands, spinning, and twirling until they solidify. They turn into a circular main wheel with a black, cross-shaped handle. The edge of the main wheel sports four spikes shaped like the spikes on the sigil on the Dusks' heads and a small ring that is bisected by the main wheel. Another spike identical to the other four is attached to each of these rings, making a total of eight spikes. The interior of the wheels is red, as are the inner edges of the other halves of the rings. The rest of the chakram is silver.

"Wait, what's going on here?"

"This town is all his creation, right? Then we ain't got time for a Q and A," Axel tells Xutaron. "You're coming with me, conscious or not. Then you'll hear the whole story."

"No!" Xutaron firmly puts his foot down, throwing the Keyblade to the ground. "I'm not going anywhere or doing anything until you give me some answers!"

Axel's answer is to laugh, before pointing at the key. It returns back to Xutaron's hand. "You can't run away from your destiny that easily," he says as he twirls his chakrams. "You are, after all, the serendipitous key of hope."

His majestic blue eyes peer down for the briefest moment at his Keyblade, before turning his eyes ahead. He forms his samurai stance with a boast: "Alright, fine! You asked for it!"

A blazing grin singes itself onto his face before he fires back, shouting, "That's more like it," and throwing the chakram resting in his right hand. Xutaron sees it spinning towards him and deflects it just like with Hayner.

But in the timeframe it took for him to block the spiked ring, Axel bursts outward grasping the chakram to swing at his throat. Xutaron crosses his blade to block again, and then with all his strength sends him hurtling back. Midair, the flaming assassin throws his chakram, both weapons spinning and igniting a conflagration.

The serendipitous wielder launches himself high up on leg strength alone, the soles of his shoes escaping prominence. He kicks out slamming his feet into Axel's face, sending him stumbling backward. As he lands he holds himself up by a single half and swings at Axel.

"Not bad Xutaron! Guess you managed to keep some of your skills when you left!" Xutaron ignores him before charging in.

Axel shoots a fireball from his right chakram but cuts through it using his key sword. Flames hit him as he pushes through, his sword charging with light energy. He slashes down at Axel, but he blocks again with the flat side of his left chakram while adjusting his fingers masterfully. The sword slides down beside Axel's right leg, is drawn in beside Xutaron, and then thrust forward like inserting a key. Axel is struck in the stomach and stumbles backward.

The fight would continue, except a doorway opens up through digital pixilation, and out from it steps a calm Kira. Xutaron looks at him in surprise, while Axel says, "So it WAS you..."

"Xutaron, do not listen to the lies this man speaks!" speaks the man in red bandages.

"Xutaron, he's the real liar!" Axel ignites a snap back.

The two continue speaking, trying to convince the blond swordsman to believe in their individual cause. He grasps his head in pain, trying to block out their individual voices. Nothing is important, nor helping him. Defying everything, Xutaron shouts, "HAYNER! PENCE! OLETTE!"

Time resumes, with everyone and everything now moving. He looks ahead of himself at the field to see Aoi falling over as if she was never a fake. The announcer says, "Oh. Uh, I don't know exactly what happened, but it seems Kunieda has fallen over."

She looks up feeling faint. "What happened? What am I doing here?"

Xutaron comes out from his shock to approach her. "Aoi, are you okay?" He offers a hand to help her up, which she accepts.

"Xutaron, what's going on? I don't remember coming here at all..." Though confused, the crowd cheer taking that to mean Aoi forfeits.

After a quick breather, with his friends congratulating him on keeping the promise, he is brought back to the stadium where he stands before Hildegarde. "And now for the title match!"

Xutaron takes up his baton, as does Hilda. "Listen, Xutaronomy, are you insistent in continuing this fight? Because you look mildly distracted."

"I am…"

"Do you even want to win the title?"

"…" Xutaron thinks about it and realizes she has a point. He has absolutely no reason at all to face her since he already got the statue. He has more important things to worry about after all.

He drops the Struggle Baton and walks away, heading over towards the exit. "Eh? Xutaron's dropping out?"

"Xutaron, what's up?" asks Pence, while Hayner controls his temper at their friend's sudden reluctance to participate.

"I can't. Something happened during my match with Aoi, and I couldn't really focus on the fight… I'd just disappoint." Hilda watches him from afar with a frown. Of course, she's always so negative.

After the ending ceremony, Xutaron ends with the Struggle Trophy in hand. He and the others rest on top of the clock tower, their usual hangout spot that isn't the hideout. After sitting down, he pulls out the four crystals on it. He tosses the yellow to Olette who barely catches it, the green to Pence who almost misses, the red to Hayner who easily nabs it, and the blue is for him.

"As promised guys." They each hold their crystal up to the twilight sun, having it shine in the blazing orange.

"Thanks a lot, Xutaron," says Pence with a smile.

"Just one more treasure for us to share," adds Hayner as he flips his crystal and catches it.

Everyone then pockets their treasure, before Olette says, "Xutaron, can you pass the cooler? Time for the celebration."

"Sweet!" Xutaron stands up to grab the box. But his foot slips, and he falls off the tower.

That's when everything stops.

...

In the village hidden in the leaves, two women stand firmly outside of an apartment complex. The first is a beautiful blunette with white eyes of serene hope. She is dressed in the Konoha military flak jacket with assorted clothing, which shows slight tear as it has been recently used. Beside her is her friend, a slightly taller girl with short pink hair, wearing a similar flak jack and assorted clothing as well as a red-clothed forehead protector. These are Hinata and Sakura.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" asks Sakura, her light green eyes glancing over at the Princess of Light. "You stop by here and stare at that room every day. What's wrong?"

"I look at that place, and something tells me I'm forgetting something. About a boy who lives there…" She takes out a sealed, green envelope. "I forgot him, and I've been trying so hard to remember. Not even Ino's family technique works. Who is he, and why does it hurt forgetting him?"

"Hinata…" Sakura places a hand on her shoulder. But at that moment, the Hyuga princess widens her eyes in hyde shock.

 _Youko, what's happening? Am I gonna be okay?_

'Who… Who's talking? That's not my name.' Hinata holds her head feeling a strain in her heart.

 _Are you not?_

'I'm Hinata. And… Why do you sound familiar?'

 _Oh, Hinata. You're that girl he likes._

'He? Who? I need a name!' Hinata realizes there's a connection and becomes desperate.

 _I'm Xutaron._

"Okay, but what's his name?" She says this out loud.

"His name?" asks Sakura confused.

 _Don't you remember my name? After all, we've been through?_

Hinata gasps, realizing this is a different person. Though when he hears him, her heart warms up. The perfect puzzle begins to form in her mind.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" Ignoring Sakura, Hinata removes her forehead protector from her shoulder to pull out a wallet. This shows a picture of a boy she couldn't remember before. Sakura sees him, and her eyes widen with realization. "That boy… I remember him!"

"Yes. It's all starting to clear up…" A few tears forms in her eyes. "I'm sorry I forgot about you, Naruto."

…

Deep within the laboratory, the hooded man flips the blue crystal Xutaron had. Kira watches the screen, seeing the progress. "How is his progress, Kira?"

"85 percent. It's rather astounding…" He smiles with astonishment.

"So, what was that about?"

"Apparently, when Youko met Xutaron, she put his heart in connection with Hinata. And that affected Naruto," he tells him.

"How did that happen?"

"It's because of who Youko is." Kira looks up at the screen showing Youko making drawings. "Unlike Xutaron she wasn't born the same way as Nobodies. Yet like him, it's because of their birth that made the connection work. That's why she can interfere with the hearts and memories of Naruto and those connected to him."

He glares at Kira. "With that logic, it sounds like you've already figured out her origin. Whose Nobody is she?"

Kira turns slowly in his chair, almost dramatically, showing the left side of his face. "Instead of me just telling you, how about you introduce yourself? You haven't taken that hood off since. Who exactly are you?"

"Hmph." He removes the hood, to reveal himself: "Ansem."

He stares through his bandages, before making a brief chuckle. Like the smallest noise escapes his lips. "It is an honor, Ansem!"

…

The next day for Xutaron goes by with a different flare. What differs for him and his friends today, despite thinking he fell off the tower and none of them believing it happened, is that there will be actual school work. With summer vacation ending in two days for them, they have to work on their report for school.

Xutaron stares dead up at the mansion. His eyes look through the gate doors being the only way he can, wondering what's the big mystery here. "You know something-"

"WHOA, JESUS!" Xutaron jumps up in shock and turns around, spotting Pence. "Oh, Pence."

"Sorry about that," he says with a chuckle. "The thing is, we were going to check this place out tomorrow. The four of us and Oga's gang."

"Really?"

"It IS the most suspicious place," Pence tells him as he also scans the haunted mansion. He points to a window on the left side of the building, which shows curtains drawn. "You see, people say there's a girl in there. A really pretty girl too."

"Olette pretty or Hilda pretty?"

"You think Olette's pretty?" Xutaron turns red realizing what he said.

"… Moving on…" The blond teen then turns back to the mansion, looking up at the same window. There he spots a girl. The girl from before. "Youko?"

His world transforms once more; before where he saw only the outside, he was now inside of a pure white room. Sitting at a table, he sees Youko at the other end staring at him with a content smile. "Xutaron… Welcome."

"Youko." The redhead gestures to her gallery along the wall, consisting of pictures she's made. "What do you think?"

Xutaron looks at every picture. "What's all this? What's going on?"

"I've been hard at work repairing the damage I've done." She points over to a picture of two people in black coats. The child-like coloring gives Xutaron the impression that's him and Axel from yesterday.

"Is that me?"

"Yes."

"Why am I next to Axel?"

"Well, you are best friends."

"You sure about that?" She chuckles. "What?"

Youko then picks up another picture, of three characters: the first is an orange fox, the second a blue duck, and the third a green dog. "Do you know who they are?"

Xutaron looks at them, diving deep into the depths of his memories from when he dreamed them. "… Yes. That's Naruto, Donald, and Goofy."

She puts the picture down, saying, "A little less than a year ago, I did something terrible to Naruto's memories. It's taken this long, but I've managed to almost put his memories back together the way they were. He'll soon be back to who he used to be. The process has also affected you, because of your connection to him."

"Connection?" He wants to ask her what she means, but a part of him wants to know more about her instead. "Who exactly are you?"

She sighs, taking up one more picture with Xutaron and Naruto. "I am a Nobody, more specifically. Unlike you and the others, I'm just a witch who has power over Naruto's memories and those connected to his heart. I don't know why I have this power, but it may be because of his mother. And whose heart I was born from."

"…" Xutaron sighs, before asking, "Why is this affecting me?"

"Do you know the truth about yourself?"

He scuffs. "What does that mean? Who else knows me better than me?"

"Your memories were altered too, and you were placed in a world that doesn't exist, to hide you from bad people who wanted to use you."

"… What?" He doesn't exactly believe her. But a part of him is curious. "What exactly do you know about me?"

"You… You were never supposed to exist."

The words hit him hard. "What?" He can't really believe her now. And yet… "How can you say something like that? Even if it is true?"

Tears fall freely from her eyes as she looks at him. Despite the truth coming out, she knows how hurtful this is. "I'm sorry. I guess, some things are better left unsaid, Minato…"

That last name awakens another memory within Xutaron, one he doesn't recognize. It regresses into the recesses of his mind, and he finds himself back outside.

Pence pats his shoulder, before saying, "Let's head back. We'll get to work on this tomorrow. After the fair."

Xutaron, deep in thought, goes along with him. "Sure…" No matter what happens tomorrow, he can't forget what he learned today. The two return to their friends back at the usual hideout spot. The rest of the day continues uneventfully. Unfortunately, it would be his last day as a normal teenager.

Tomorrow Morning…

In one of the rooms of the abandoned mansion, Kira and Ansem are together. Kira sits in a comfortable chair, his eye looking out the window as the golden light of morning begins to light up the room.

"Why did you show him the train?" asks Ansem. He adjusts his gloves as he speaks.

"Because he missed the beach."

"That was almost kind of you," says Ansem with a short laugh.

Kira turns his head to face Ansem. "So, how are your memories? Are the holes starting to fill up?"

"Yes. That thick haze is finally gone," he replies. "Youko did well."

"Naruto's memories are finally together, except for Castle Oblivion. The people who are connected to him as well are remembering him. Soon he'll be like a friend who's come back after being gone a long time." His eyes close with a smile.

"So, we're at the endgame, I've waited, and I've done what you've asked…" Ansem sits down in the only other unbroken piece of furniture in the room. "What do you get out of this? What is next for you?"

Kira inhales and then exhales a great amount. "There is only one thing next… Revenge!"

The sound of leather clenching together can be heard from the tightened right fist of Ansem. "Really?"

"Now, time for the finishing touches. Tomorrow, Naruto's memories will finally awaken him and Xutaron will return to him. But, then we must be rid of Youko." His eye opens with a burning hatred inside of him. "She wasn't wrong when she said neither of them was supposed to exist. Take care of it, Ansem."

Elsewhere…

The day begins with the twilight dawn shining down upon Xutaron. Like before, he had a dream about Naruto. This time it leads all the way to when he fought at the End of the World against Ansem, defeated him with the help of Luffy, Allen, and the others, and Kingdom Hearts evaporated him. And then, he says his byes to Hinata and Sakura.

Afterward, he dreams of another event that he doesn't recognize, and everything he knows about Naruto stops there. Now comes other memories.

 _Chain of Memories…_

 _"Rasengan!" A powerful strike knocks aside the man in the black coat, causing him to fly away from the woman he was standing over. An attacker is a man with blond, spiky hair, wearing a white cloak with a flaming pattern on it. He raises his arm and grabs something that fell, a baby. "I got you, Naruto."_

 _The man in the coat stands back up, before saying in an elderly voice, "It's too late. I've already done the deed." He then steps back, entering a portal of darkness._

 _"Minato!" Minato looks down at the red-haired woman, his eyes glancing back at her pale expression. "It's coming..." From behind, the demon fox Kyuubi crawls towards the grassy plain they stand at._

 _"Kushina, stay back."_

 _"No, I got this." She forces herself to stand, holding her hands to her stomach. "I'm already dying, so I'll take the Kyuubi with me." The woman cups her mouth, blood dripping from her mouth. Chakra rises from her body and manifests as chains. "I… It was wonderful living with you. I'm sorry, but this will buy us time until the Kyuubi returns. Please raise Naruto right in my place."_

 _Minato places a hand on her shoulder, still holding the baby. "Don't bother. Even if we stop the Kyuubi, what about Naruto?"_

 _Kushina turns to her newly born baby and sees a veil of darkness forming around his body. "What…"_

 _"Whatever he was after, he succeeded. There's only one way to stop it, and it requires the three of us. Otherwise, he'll just come after him again." Minato turns to the rampaging fox. "Well?"_

 _The newly made mother looks at her son, then husband, and finally the fox that used to be inside of her. With her mouth curling into an unsuccessful frown, she gives up. "I hate it when you're right."_

 _The two, together with their son, face down the fox, its nine tails rapidly beating the ground wildly yet in sync to not hit one another. A bright light clouds away the rest of the memory._

Another piece of Xutaron's memories appears, replacing the cloud over what preceded.

 _Xutaron stands in the middle of a dark alley, rain beating down on him and the black coat he wears. Many buildings are around him, including a towering skyscraper. He becomes surrounded by Neo Shadow Heartless, each of which aims for him. Blocked off, he summons his weapons. In the right hand appears the Oblivion Keyblade, and the left hand the Oathkeeper Keyblade. Spinning them in the air with a clash, sparks fly._

 _He fights off the horde, before realizing he's getting pushed in. Glancing up, his eyes spot what looks to be Sasuke standing at the peak of the skyscraper. Xutaron rushes up the side of the building escaping the Neo Shadows, with Sasuke diving down. Xutaron hands over the Oblivion Keyblade as they do, and in unison, they jump off to land centered by the throng of Heartless._

 _Wordlessly, they wipe out the horde before turning against one another. Eventually, Sasuke falls, asking, "Why do you have the Keyblade?!"_

 _"Shut up," are the only words he receives as any form of answer. Another flash cuts away the memory._

 _End of Memories…_

Xutaron awakens finally, the last day of summer vacation. His blue eyes look outside after throwing on his trademark outfit. "What was that about?"

He walks towards the usual hangout place, yawning still. He sees his friends talking with each other. Though that's just at first glance. He says, "Man I didn't sleep a wink last night," and it's here he notices something is wrong. No one responded to him. "Guys?"

While reaching out to touch Pence he phases through his body. Xutaron gives a soft gasp and realizes that nothing they say is coming out of their mouths. It's just silence. They then run by him, going out the entrance to do whatever they're doing.

At this point, Xutaron is in deep thought. All the things Youko told him are starting to get to his head as if to make sense of what's happening to him. "Was I really never supposed to exist?"

He even looks over to a photo of him and the gang, only to find to his shock just them. It's supposed to be him and the gang hanging in front of the mansion gates smiling for the camera, but he's invisible now. 'What am I?'

He walks out of the hangout spot, taking in his apparent reality. Xutaron sighs while staring at the pavement. After three steps into nothing, that's what appears before him. From out of nothingness, those Dusks appear blocking off his path. 'I don't have time for this...'

"You know, this irks me." Xutaron catches the familiar voice behind him. He turns around to see the usual flaming jokester Axel standing there. "I've been given these icky orders to destroy you, should you fail to come back with me."

Taken back, Xutaron looks at Axel up and down. "Even though we're best friends?"

"Well if you're not coming back, I'm not turning into a Du-" He flinches, registering what the young Nobody said. "Wait, you remember now?!"

"Sort of..."

"Great! But…" Axel pauses for a moment. "What's our boss's name then?" His response is silence, pure nothing. The Flurry of Dancing Flames sighs. "I can't believe it."

Xutaron looks down and picks up a twig left on the ground, and it transforms into the Keyblade. He swipes back knocking away the Dusks, who turn aggressive on him. He swipes his right foot along the ground to flip a Dusk over and then slashes downward to destroy it. The second kicks but he ducks his head, and wielding his sword with both hands swipes three times in rapid succession to slay the Nobody.

A brand new Nobody flunky pops out from the ground, slithering through the air like a humanoid serpent. This being with blades shaped like their symbol on its arms and mosquito-like face turn to face Xutaron. It stretches its segmented arms out to rip through the Keyblade wielder, who jumps back raising the Keyblade to block. Sparks fly from the chainsaw slashes, one segment flipping and scratching his face.

Blood stains his collar and jacket, but Xutaron remains standing. It then merges into the ground and swims through the earth, rapidly stabbing/slashing at him. He jumps backward once again dodging, a part of his pant leggings on the left getting torn. He throws the Keyblade, performing a Strike Raid to slice off its arms. Forced to stand up, the Assassin Nobody rises up to charge him.

'Suicide?' He thrusts his hand back, reaching into the depths of his memory. A sphere of white and black energy forms into the Rasengan before Xutaron slams it into its face. It explodes from the forceful strike.

He turns over to Axel, retrieving his Keyblade, and the fire user summons his chakrams. Axel draws the left arm up, but as Xutaron anticipates his move it becomes clear he's frozen. "What the?"

"Xutaron, get to the mansion. The time has come!" He looks up hearing Kira's voice.

"What is going on!?" he screams, before biting down on his teeth. He then runs off, ignoring the frozen Axel.

Though once he's out of eyesight, Axel moves. He grips a tightening fist. "The Xutaron I know is long gone huh? Fine, I see how it is." He sighs between sentences as realization and sadness hit him.

Later…

Xutaron runs through the streets of the frozen city. Time no longer taking effect on him, he slashes through any and every Nobody stepping in his way. It doesn't take long for him to reach the forest. From there he makes it out to the mansion.

Xutaron would soon find himself surrounded by more Dusks. The lock on the gates the only thing in his way, he draws his Keyblade and unlocks it. The beam that opens the lock turns it into specks of light.

"Naruto…" He rushes through the gates aiming his sights for the mansion front doors.

As he passes through, the Dusks prepare to go in after him. But that's when Ansem rises from a portal of darkness, wielding his Soul Eater. But it has a strange shape; it actually looks like a Keyblade, with a gray wing as the teeth. The Nobodies come forth, and he goes to work.

Inside, Xutaron sees the mansion's innards for the first time. It's pretty rundown and abandoned, as many would expect, as there are a fallen chandelier, torn furniture, and muddy footprints. Otherwise, it's pretty regal in detail.

Ignoring the pointless description, the Keyblade wielder turns his eyes up the stairs, knowing that's where he'll find Youko. He climbs the red-carpeted steps and turns left twice, now racing towards the door at the far end. After opening it, he comes inside of the white room with all its many pictures designed by Youko herself.

He places a hand on one that looks like him, among twelve other black coats. "This is..." Pain fills his head when a memory resurfaces.

 _Chain of Memories..._

 _Xutaron, dressed in the black coat, walks down the recently moistened streets of a familiar dark city. As he does, Axel lands from atop a building. He asks the serious Nobody, "Has your mind finally been made?"_

 _"Why can I wield the Keyblade? Who is she to me? What are these memories that are suddenly emerging?" Xutaron turns around. "I need to know, and I'm never going to find out hanging around this place."_

 _Axel punches the wall. "You can't turn on the Organization! If you get on their bad side they'll destroy you!"_

 _"No one would miss me," is the sad reply Axel would receive, before Xutaron disappears into the eternal night._

 _End of Memories…_

Xutaron comes out of his memories, before looking back to see Youko. "Xutaron…"

"Organization XIII, are a bad group right?"

"That's a matter of perspective," she replies. "Really, they're a group of Nobodies like us who wish to become whole. To reach that end they need the power of Kingdom Hearts."

"I see…" Xutaron looks down, before sighing with a small laugh. "Well, that leaves just one thing to ask…" He goes closer, just five feet away from the scarlet beauty. "I join together with Naruto, and he becomes whole again, but what happens to me afterward? That's all I want to know before I do anything."

"You are…" Youko pauses but then digitizes. This reveals herself as nothing more than data, like everything else he's come across.

From another digital pixilation appears Kira. "There's no knowledge which has the power to change your fate."

"Even so, I deserve to know! It's my right!" he barks back.

"A Nobody has no right to know! Nor does it have a right to be!" Kira snaps in anger at his response.

"Well, what is that anyway?! What am I to you?!"

Before he could get another answer, Ansem appears from a portal of darkness. "Kira, we've been caught! Too many Nobodies are out there!" He then holds his hand out and opens a portal of darkness. There, Youko stands.

"Youko!"

"Xutaron, Nobodies like us are only half a person! If you join with him, you won't disappear. You'll be whole!"

"Wait, how does that work?"

"No further outbursts!" Kira goes towards Youko and grasps her to keep her mouth shut.

"Xutaron, this isn't goodbye! We'll meet again!" Kira begins pulling her into the darkness. "I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. I just know that we'll meet again. We'll be together again, I promise!"

Xutaron watches as she disappears into the darkness, slowly reaching his hand out. His words caught in the web of fear that is his throat, he could only mutter. "No… No! KUSHINA!"

When it finally comes out, he clasps his mouth shut. Why did he say that name? Her name is Youko, not Kushina. And, why does he care about someone from his memory?

He would ponder that later because he needs to focus on the now. And that now involves a piece of paper left behind by Youko. He could tell because as he picks it up he recognizes it has a strange symbol. 'There's got to be something else in this mansion…' He rushes out the door.

Xutaron continues to the other side of the hall, where another room rests in a similar way as the white room. He opens the door and steps into a large library, also carpeted in red velvety goodness. He spots a table placed in the middle of it, holding a notebook that has two symbols on it. One is clearly one he hasn't seen, in person; his memories have seen it plenty of times; but the second he remembers belonging to those white things he's been fighting, the Nobodies.

Xutaron looks at the piece of paper left for him and comes up with an idea. 'Since she draws, this must be a clue.' He draws the circle, rather well actually. The circle symbol shines with the other two, and the floor as well as the table in white light. He jumps away to what isn't light and sees the floor is gone, revealing a dark purple basement with steps leading down. Among the area, he spots wires leading into a pathway just below him. "Hello."

He glides down the steps with ease before heading into the secret basement. He ends up going down more steps where he spots a computer room, the very same with the multi-monitors that Kira and Ansem were working in. He walks up to the computers, and another migraine hits him. He grasps his head in pain while groaning in pain.

He remembers a white room, with thirteen thrones rising from the circle. On each throne sits a person in a black coat. It ranges from those who keep themselves hidden to several with distinguishing hairstyles and even a sexy blond girl. It then lands on him, number XIII, at the lowest among them.

He then remembers meeting Sasuke, and that fight as well as the conclusion. And how he ended up here, in this fake world with digital friends. Nothing… Nothing was real.

"And it was all his fault! KIRA!" He summons the Kingdom Key and goes wild on the monitors, shattering them to pieces. Sparks go off as he watches his mess.

A door opens up behind him, leading to another room. He walks through, a silent anger present in his eyes. In this clearing, with a floor lit by green line lights, he finds more Nobody Assassins. They dive at him, though he simply steps away to dodge before grabbing its 'tail' and throwing it into a wall. He then throws the Keyblade, having it impale the Assassin before it merges into the wall and destroy it.

For some reason, ever since he remembered who he was, his movements and skills have improved. Xutaron can easily dodge their wild arms. One stabs at him, but he twirls the Keyblade to entangle it. Once it's in a tight enough knot he sends the Keyblade away before summoning a Rasengan and bashing it painfully, until it shatters.

With them gone, he breathes in to quell the fire in his heart. Speaking of which, "Simply amazing Xutaron!" The Flurry of Dancing Flames steps in from a green portal of darkness.

"Axel..."

"Oh, you really do remember me this time? I'M SO FLATTERED." A circling inferno entraps them. The air becomes more voracious and breathing becomes harder as Xutaron stands centered in the fire. "BUT YOU'RE TOO LATE!"

Xutaron closes his eyes and breathes, before leaning down forward and crossing his arms to their opposing waist sides. He then draws them back, the left hand summoning light which forms the Oathkeeper and the right hand summoning darkness which is the Oblivion. The Key of Hope twirls his swords and clashes them together, white and black sparks released with a clang.

"TWO?!" Axel summons his twin chakrams, prepared to face off against Xutaron using Eternal Flame. He grins as he does mental preparation. "Time to make it stop, Xutaron." Fire brims around his spiked wheel, and below his feet the floor turns to charcoal. He twirls his chakram and then throws them. They spin wildly as they reach Xutaron.

The Keyblade wielder draws his blades samurai style, using Oathkeeper to deflect them aside with a skillful swing and turn. The chakram spins in the air and reverts back to Axel, who grabs them with ease.

Xutaron then looks down at his feet, feeling his body draining of energy. 'The fire is taking away my strength. I'll make this quick then.' He raises Oblivion and slides it aside Oathkeeper. The white sword turns into a sheath that covers Oblivion before he draws it battoujutsu style to unleash several slashes of darkness and light to attack Axel.

"Whoa!" He combats using firewalls to block them. "Guess you picked up some new tricks!"

"Two Keyblades are stronger than one after all. I spent a lot longer practicing Keyblade Transformations, and it's all comeback thanks to Youko. And with the Kyuubi's chakra, I have Naruto's power that I..." He pauses. A part of him doesn't understand, but he knows something's different. He accepts it because it's true. "That I gave him."

"You gave him?" Instead of clarification, Xutaron unleashes the chakra inside of him. Confused at first, the fire bender starts to understand. "That's right… When he became a Heartless you took over what he couldn't take from Naruto."

"Which means, I can use that very same power the Kyuubi provided him." Xutaron's body transforms, taking the color red. He stands tall as the Valor Drive form, but this time there's a certain air to him. His jacket has turned dark red, as well as his pants which now sports the Valor symbol. A cloth wraps around his left arm also red, with the same symbol, that also hangs from his head as a headband. His pants have also become shorts, and his cloak gone. "Samurai Drive Form."

"Is that what you're calling it now?" Axel sends a pillar of fire towards Xutaron.

He easily dodges and makes his way towards Axel. He slashes rapidly but proficiently, driving him up the wall of fire. Xutaron follows, their weapons clashing and defending against one another with the greatest of ease. Seeing an opening, the Keyblade wielder slashes using Oathkeeper, but he jumps away dodging the attack. Floating in midair, Axel gloats. But that's when Xutaron jumps up at him knowing this would happen.

Xutaron sheathes his blades along his right waist instead of sending them away, knowing that they would hold in place, and jumps at Axel. He nails him to the ground using the Rasengan. Pillars of light rise up surrounding Axel afterward, purifying the landscape.

Landing on regular floor tile now, Xutaron stands far aside from Axel. The fire user stands, tired from that last attack, and disappears into the circle of fire. Xutaron watches as he leaves, before seeing Axel leap out to attack him. He jumps at the last second being unprepared and being unable to track him, leaving his left arm sleeve burnt off. "Damn it!"

"Burn, baby, burn!" Axel jumps back into the flames, and within seconds slides through on a slide of fire. Xutaron jumps away, better prepared this time. He places a hand on Oblivion, causing a mark to appear on it.

Landing, he watches Axel dive back into the fire. He grips Oblivion and concentrates awaiting his next move. Xutaron jumps away just as Axel slides in on fire once more. In that same instance, he draws Oblivion and throws it, sending the blade towards him. It cuts his side, causing Axel to fall and land on his back. That new symbol appears on him.

Axel quickly picks himself back up, as if unfazed. "Nice try. But I'm not going to die that easily." He raises his chakram prepared to strike back. "You won't forget this!"

It all happened in a yellow flash as fast as light. Xutaron appears behind Axel before he could utilize his special attack, having drawn both Oblivion which returned to him and Oathkeeper. His swords contain slight stains of blood on them.

Axel drops his weapons, the fire spin ends. Xutaron sees him and remembers all the fun he had with him. While Axel is wounded, nothing is fatal. That's why he held back. Real or fake, he could never kill his friends in cold blood. "Axel…"

"So, you've made your decision… Then, I'll accept it. Can't take you back anyway," says Axel regretfully.

"It doesn't matter who we are. We'll always be friends. So let's meet again, in the next life," says Xutaron truthfully, before he returns his twin Keyblades into light and darkness.

A wall of darkness forms behind Axel. "Too bad. Just because you have one…" He fades inside. With Axel gone, Xutaron walks towards another exit. Though he wouldn't notice, that portal of darkness Axel came from earlier remains. But that's for another time.

Xutaron in his Samurai Drive form walks along a hallway until he sees several pods. Among the two of them rests two familiar characters. "Donald, and Goofy… Then I'm getting close."

Without another word, he walks forward toward the next door. As it opens, he steps out into a bright room. There Kira stands in front of a pod larger than the others, right in front of a monitor as white as the rest of the room.

"Well well, if it isn't Xutaron," says Kira, his only visible eye glaring at him. "You've actually made it."

"Save it. I remember everything now; that you and Sasuke kidnapped me, just to revive Naruto after restoring his memories." Xutaron summons his Keyblade, the Kingdom Key, and walks towards the big pod. As he does, he asks, "But why? Who are you and what do you get out of this?"

"I am a servant of the world," he simply says. "And if I am, then you should consider yourself a-" Xutaron slashes, passing through to his shock. "-tool. Apologies, but this is just a data-based projection."

"Axel was more real to me than you, so I can't trust you. But, Naruto needs my power to awaken." Xutaron grabs his head groaning in anger. "This pisses me off!"

"Anger huh? Do yourself a favor and share that anger with Naruto. That hatred should help him become stronger."

"Says you!" He slashes again, and the projection disappears. The pod opens up, like a blooming flower, and reveals Naruto floating. Xutaron sees him and notices the changes in his appearance from a year ago. "Naruto… Looks like I'm doing the right thing. I'll save you, just like he… Just like I did before."

He places a hand on his chest and draws out the red on his clothes into a sphere of chakra. He then jumps up and implants the chakra into Naruto's chest. His arm passes through inside him, causing his arm to fade slightly. "But I can't join you just yet."

He draws back, landing just outside the pod. He then walks away towards a portal of darkness he summoned. "With what I've left the seal should rework itself. Pretty soon, my summer vacation will end."

* * *

Kei: Some background information; Samurai Drive form is based on Naruto's Valor Drive Form.


	3. A New Journey Begins

_**An Adventitious Key of Hope**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Shonen Jump, or any media affiliated with them.

Legend:

Normal Speech: "I am a fool."

… equals pause

Thoughts: 'Xemnas!'

Flashback = Chain of Memories: _You're right._

Kei: If you're wondering about this above me, that's the legend. It shows the certain techniques the writer uses to save time.

Yusei: Lazy.

Kei: You have no right to-

Serena: Begin the chapter!

 _\- Omakey -_

Naruto steps out from a door. The last he remembers he entered a world made from the card he received. It was Traverse Town. Beside him are Donald and Goofy, and in front of him the man in black.

"You again," he mutters.

"So, how was it? Reuniting with your memories?" asks the man, who if he recalls correctly is named Marluxia.

"Yeah it was nice to see Yugi and the others, but that doesn't change this." Naruto glares at him, before asking, "What are you after?"

"What do you have to offer?" He summons the Keyblde in response, threatening a fight. As Donald and Goofy take out their weapons, another portal of darkness opens to reveal Axel with his hood down.

"Yello!"

"What are you doing here?" questions Marxluxia coldly.

"Hey, you're hogging the hero. How's about giving me a chance to play?" Marluxia throws another card to Axel and disappears as he catches it. Axel turns to Naruto, saying, "My show now Keyblade Master. The name's Axel; got it memorized?"

"I'm hardly a master, and I didn't ask for your name Axel," Naruto says, not falling for his flattery.

"My my, quick learner. Well, now that we know each other better," Axel raises his arms and thrusts them to the side, summoning his flaming chakrams, "don't you go off and die on me now!"

 _\- End Omakey -_

* * *

 ** _The III Key: A New Journey Begins_**

* * *

A white pod opens up in the midst of the very blanch room it rests in. Inside floats the blond Keyblade wielder, Naruto Uzumaki. "Naruto!" says a squawking voice.

"Naruto, time to wake up!" says another voice.

The blond opens his blue and gold eyes, looking out into the view before him. He spots to his surprise and glee his two friends Donald and Goofy. He jumps out from the pod, shouting their names. "Donald! Goofy!" The two jump up and down happily being reunited. Though as they come to reality, a question comes to mind.

"Where are we?" Naruto looks around to examine the bright white room.

"That was some nap," says Jiminy as he crawls out of Naruto's shirt.

"Oh, you were there the whole time?" That's when he processes what the cricket conscious said. "Wait, we were sleeping?"

"How did we end up here?" asks Donald curiously. He turns to Goofy.

"Oh, um… Let's see..." He begins counting down the things they did that he remembers. "We fought and defeated Ansem together, we reunited the worlds by sealing the door to darkness, and then we met Pluto."

Naruto cups his chin as he recollects his thoughts. He says, "Yeah, I remember all that. And we were looking for Sasuke and the King… But everything after that is a blur."

Goofy turns to Jiminy as an idea comes to him. "Hey Jiminy, can ya check your journal?"

"Right! I recorded everything down." He takes out his little notebook, and at the end sees only a single page with anything written inside; "'Thank Youko.' I wonder who that is?"

"Youko?" asks Naruto confused. He's never that name before, yet at the same time, it feels right to him. "Who's that?"

"Some journal…" Donald complains, before everyone sighs. Clearly, they don't remember what happened and there's not even evidence of what they did a year ago.

Jiminy is clearly upset, and says, "Look, let's check outside. Maybe we can get a good idea of where we are."

"Sure with me," says Donald gleefully.

With that, everyone walks outside of the building. Of course, being in the basement of the mansion, it takes some time to reach the main floor. It doesn't take much longer to reach the outside however and they continue to walk into the surrounding forest. Goofy being the tallest leads them into town, as he is able to see the recognizable twilight and hear civilization sooner than the others.

As they walk, Naruto takes a look around. The others do so as well, but while it's different for Donald and Goofy seeing as they do not recognize this world, he finds something interesting though. Everything makes him feel warm inside.

He stops for a bit just outside an alley he recognizes the most. "Have I been here?"

Donald and Goofy stop to look at him, Jiminy having returned inside the Keybearer's clothes. Confused by his words, Donald asks, "What do you mean?"

"I don't remember being here at all," says Goofy.

Naruto looks at the alleyway opening, which leads them to the inside of the familiar hangout Xutaron would go to with Hayner and the others. Speaking of which, as soon as he and his two friends step in, he spots Hayner, Pence, and Olette sitting around doing absolutely nothing. Almost as if they were waiting for someone.

But once they notice them, Hayner rudely speaks, "Hey, this is a private place."

"Oh, sorry." Naruto rubs his head sheepishly. "We just got here and..." The blond swordsman sees Pence coming up to him, examining the Keyblade wielder. "Uh..."

"You're new here right? I'm Pence," says the tall hair teen as friendly as he could.

Hayner gets up and leaves, right after introducing himself. "Hayner. Sorry, but we got stuff to do."

"My name's Olette." The token female broadcasts her name to our drowsy heroes, soon coming to a thought that's expressed on her face, asking, "Have you guys done the summer homework yet? Independent studies suck so hard…"

"Homework?" Naruto scuffs. "Haven't done homework since I graduated the Shinobi Academy."

"The what?" Olette asks, catching that name. "You're a ninja?"

"Maybe not right now…" He looks to the side as he answers, as if unsure of himself.

"Oh right, we should introduce ourselves," says Goofy. He holds a hand out to the name's he's addressing. "You can call us Naruto, Donald, and Goofy."

Their names spark eyes to be widened. Olette is the first to speak, saying, "So it's you three. Someone was actually here looking for you."

"What'd he look like?" asks Donald.

"He had on a black coat so we couldn't see his face," says Pence, which raises a red flag on all of them. "But he had these distinctive round ears."

"Ears?" The trio turns to one another to think about that description, before coming to the same conclusion. Out of sync, they shout, "The King!"

"Yeah, it's gotta be him!" Donald says happily.

Goofy goes up to Pence and asks, "Did he say where he'd be?"

"He mentioned he'd meet you guys at the train station." They all turn to the entrance to see Hayner there. "Now that you know, get going."

"Right! No use waiting around." With that, the trio makes their way out the hideout.

Honestly, with the signs put up, it doesn't take them long to reach the train station. The familiar setting allows Naruto to guide them to the highest point of the town, and the posters informing them of their location helps too. Upon reaching the top, the afternoon sky that still radiates of twilight hits down upon them like a beautiful orange blanket.

Naruto calls out, "King Mickey?" But to no avail. They sigh feeling nothing will come about before the next surprise takes up. A Dusk appears before them from a shade veil in the ground. The Dusk is accompanied by more and more of its kind. Confused, the trio stares at them, but that's when Naruto notices something about the symbol on its head.

'That looks like a Heartless emblem… Then-' He immediately summons the Kingdom chain Keyblade, before rushing into battle to slash. It slips in the air avoiding his attack and kicks him in the back of the head.

Donald summons Fire to blast a Dusk, but then a second headbutts him. Goofy blocks attacks from a Dusk successfully but gets struck in the back. The two groan feeling more hurt than they should. Donald even says, "This shouldn't be this hard! We've destroyed Heartless stronger than these things!"

Naruto watches the Dusk's movements before blocking a well-coordinated strike. 'These things don't fight like Heartless. Those guys act like wild animals, but these feel smart.' He then groans, feeling a twitch in his muscles. This weakens him and allows the Dusk to strike him hard until he falls over. "What's going on? Why do I feel so weak?"

"We've been asleep for a good while! We haven't fought or used our muscles in so long we're not as strong as we were," Goofy explains upon realization. He, Donald and Naruto are thrown together by the Dusks laying on the ground. The trio looks up at their enemies, worrying about their lives.

The Dusks shimmer before flying in to attack. Naruto holds his sword up to block, but at the last minute, they're saved. A figure in black jumps down and slashes the Dusk into nothing, before cutting down the next two with swift jumping action despite his small frame. He then leaps high up and destroys the last two, before landing with his back facing the trio.

Naruto opens his eyes and sees who saved them, and sees a small person in a black coat. He has round ears and wields the Star Seeker Keyblade. Donald and Goofy push down the blond looking at him. "Your Majesty!" they say in unison.

He shushes them. "You guys gotta get on the train, the purple one. Here's some money for it." He hands over a pink pouch with a blue heart on it to them, which Naruto grabs. Keyblade in hand, Mickey jumps away to leave them be.

"Where's he going?" asks Naruto as he looks at the pouch. "What did he mean by taking the train?"

"It don't matter," says Goofy who smiles happily. "What matters is he's safe and out of the Realm of Darkness."

Naruto then thinks about it. "Let's see… the King was with Sasuke though, and he got out…" He pauses to think further before it hits him. "Sasuke must have gotten out too!"

"Of course!" Donald adds.

"Alright, it wasn't all for naught!" Naruto happily stands. "All I need to do now is look for Sasuke, and then bring him back to Konoha! That way I can keep my promise to Sakura, and focus on what Yensei wanted me to do after all this. As well as Kurama's promise. What're you guys gonna do?"

They just give him a blank stare. "What?"

"Really Naruto? You gotta ask?" says Goofy in a drab tone.

He then laughs at them. "I'm just jerking your chain! Obviously, we got one more adventure on our belts. Let's get going!" Almost immediately they come out of their short depression and throw their arms up to cheer. "To...where again?"

"We gotta take the train!" Goofy says as a reminder.

"Oh right!" Donald sighs as Naruto recollects the recent memory. Without any further adieu, they step inside the train station. As they do, Naruto looks back to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette coming up to see them.

"Naruto!" says Pence as he comes forward. As Naruto asks what brings them here, he says, "We wanted to see you guys off."

"Oh, thanks." This takes him by honest surprise.

Goofy takes the pouch to pay for their ride. But as he does, Olette sees something odd. "Wait a minute." She then digs into her bag pocket to take out, an identical pouch.

"They're the same?" Goofy says in shock.

Taking that in, they pay for their ride and climb the stairs to reach it. Though once they see the purple train, Naruto sighs with a sullen heart. "This may be the last time we'll ever see this place again."

The Twilight Gang look at Naruto when he said that, seeing something new about him. Donald and Goofy are also relatively surprised by his attitude. This is the first time he's felt strongly about a world he's never been to before. Even as they enter the train, Naruto continues to worry about the town.

"Well, I guess this is bye," he tells them as he's about to step onboard.

Pence, however, stops him to ask, "Naruto, have we met before?"

He takes a moment to think about it, before confessing, "No, I haven't." He then smiles at them. "But, I can say now that we'll always know each other." As he says this, tears come down from Naruto's eyes. This sudden change shocks the Twilight Gang, and even Naruto himself is surprised when he does this.

"What the?" He wipes his eyes and quickly steps aboard. As the door closes, he looks at his hands and then back out the window. And as the train takes off, he says, "That was weird..."

The train takes off, leaving Hayner, Pence, and Olette to watch them leave with mild sadness and confusion.

Meanwhile, on the train, Naruto watches as Twilight Town becomes a fading sight. His hand clenches the pouch he got back from Goofy, feeling something. He then digs inside and pulls out a blue crystal ball. Like everything else from that town, he recognizes something about it, and it takes hold of his heart. "Why? Why am I sad?"

Donald and Goofy look at him sympathetically. "Don't worry Naruto. We can always come back and visit, once we get a Gummi Ship."

"Yeah," adds Donald hoping to cheer him up.

This works, as Naruto manages to make himself smile. The outside of the train sparkles, transforming into space. What appears to be northern lights illuminate their path. It's a beautiful experience.

Back in Twilight Town, a lone figure has been watching Naruto, Donald, and Goofy since their leave. His face shrouded by a black coat's hood, he reaches his hand inside the hood, pulling them out to reveal his fingers doused with liquid. He sighs and enters a portal of darkness.

Up higher, having also witnessed them leave, Axel, Youko, and Ansem stand on a high point by a cliff. Axel groans before saying, "Well, that's that. Naruto's whole again, and is on his way to bigger and better things."

Ansem looks over to the redhead. "Do you have any regrets?"

"Yeah, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Youko looks at a picture she drew, which contains her and Xutaron. She then says sullenly, "It's best this way. Everyone has a place they belong, and a place they must return to."

"Wish I could say the same for us. Nobodies don't exist remember? Xutaron got lucky to return to his original self," Axel says. "The rest of us don't have anywhere to go, especially failures and traitors to the Organization."

"Maybe so…" A tear falls onto the picture. "But there is a place I wish to go, and a person I want to see again. Both of them."

There's a short moment of silence as if mourning a loss. Axel then burns it away by saying, "So, you think you can let us go? I mean, I know you're here to kill us, but..."

Youko gasps, turning to Ansem. "What? Kira, wants me destroyed?"

"You know what, go." Ansem turns away. "My debt is repaid."

"Debt?" asks Axel.

"You both saved me and Naruto at Castle Oblivion. I'm just paying back the favor."

"Shit, ain't gotta tell me twice!" Axel opens a Portal of Darkness and walks in. Youko picks herself up, nodding to Ansem.

"Thank you." She then steps inside, having the portal fade away with them inside.

"What have you done?!" Ansem turns around to see a furious Kira walking forward. "You were supposed to destroy them!"

"I was, but then I figured I didn't have to. If Youko is who I think she is, we might need her. Also, I can't help you with revenge." Ansem walks off to leave Kira behind.

"I'm disappointed. I figured you of all people would be sympathetic to getting revenge," Kira says with deep seeded anger.

"I'm done with being an Avenger." He walks through another portal. Luckily he left, else he'd have to suffer from Kira's roar of anger.

 _Back to Action…_

The train brings Naruto, Donald, and Goofy to a mysterious location plastered on a floating island in the middle of nowhere aurora space. They all step out, and see a lone tower, one Naruto recognizes for sure.

Taking a good look at it, he suddenly says, "Wait, that… That's Yensei's home!"

"It is?!" Donald says in shock. "Let's go then!"

Naruto walks forward with Donald and Goofy, but as they do the train disappears. "… There goes our ride."

"We'll worry about leaving later. There must be a reason we've been brought to Master Yen Sid's tower!" Donald says.

They walk over to the tower, passing by many bushes along the way. They stop at the front door. Why? There's someone in the way. He's a large, pudgy guy in purple and black clothes. They can't see his face, but they can hear him chuckling.

"What's going on?" Naruto asks him.

"Oh, you're just in time!" says the guy, his voice almost recognized by Donald and Goofy for a moment. "I just sent some of my lackeys to see if the master in this here tower's as big and tough as they say."

"What for?" he asks again.

"Well, word is he's a powerful sorcerer, which would make him a perfect subor-sudorni… bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how strong he is. He'll do whatever I say once he's a Heartless."

"Heartless?!" Donald shouts, causing the trio to go on guard.

"Yeah, Heartless. They're those monsters who come from the darkness in people's hearts. I've been going around gathering an army of Heartless for my dear friend Maleficent, and since I owe her a debt this is the best way to make up for it, especially since everyone else working for her stopped." As he explains his motives, the trio lessens up a bit to process what he said. "Oh, what am I doing telling you all this for anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is."

"Ya outta find something nicer to do," Goofy says with his advice.

"Oh, says who?" He turns around to reveal his face, and that's when the two animal people finally put together who he is. He recalls them as well. "Dah! It's you two!"

"Pete?!" Donald and Goofy say in unison.

"What are you two nimrods doing here?!"

"We could ask YOU the same question!" This is Donald's outburst.

Naruto finally speaks up and asks how they know this Pete. This is where Goofy comes in saying, "Pete's from our world. He's been causing trouble for ages, til her Majesty banished him. Haven't seen him for..." He counts his fingers. "It's been 11 years."

Pete laughs, before saying, "Let's just say Maleficent gave me a hand, and now I'm gonna take that hand and promote revenge on you and everyone! Together we'll take over all the worlds with our dark forces!"

The trio of heroes looks back at each other, before laughing. Of course, Pete doesn't take it lying down. "What's so funny? Her power isn't something to laugh at! She's so great that-"

"She's dead." These are Naruto's morbid words, so strong that Pete shuts up immediately. "Maleficent can't help you."

"What? What do you mean?" They all stare at Pete's temporary break down, before in denial he shouts, "Heartless, round up!"

Shadows rise up from the ground to face Naruto and company. This time, knowing the dangers, Naruto stretches himself and summons his Keyblade. Goofy makes the first move knocking an incoming Shadow aside before Donald casts Blizzard to send it away.

Naruto bashes a Shadow in the head before striking it golf style into a group of more Shadows. He then summons a Fire spell and burns them to cinders. 'Even my magic is weaker.'

With Donald's Thunder, all the Heartless are finally gone. And well, Pete's not taking it well what with his jumping up and down throwing a tantrum. "Oh, you three just wait! Nobody messes with the Mighty Pete!"

"I thought it was Captain Justice," Goofy says, mocking him unintentionally.

"Nah, I heard it was Captain Dark!" This is Donald's two bits.

"Whatever. You sent all your Heartless inside, right? We'll clear them out, so get lost!" says Naruto pointing his Keyblade at Pete. "Though we might not have to. Yensei's too strong to be taken out by a bunch of Heartless. He's a former Keyblade wielder after all."

"He is?!" Donald and Goofy ask in shock.

"Oh yeah, I never told you guys. Let's go see him!" Naruto goes up to the door, Pete having long since stepped away, and enters.

"Oh, those punks are gonna get it!" He summons a portal of darkness and runs inside.

Inside the tower, Naruto, Donald, and Goofy walk up a flight of stairs, which seems to be basic in a lot of castles except that one in Hollow Bastion as far as they remember. Naruto reminisces as he passes by rooms, expecting Heartless to pop out. That's why he has the Keyblade still in his hands instead of sending it away.

They soon reach the top floor, where they find Yen Sid's main office behind a glowing door. It's just as Naruto last saw it, with the stars of space outside the window, a desk plastered in the middle of the room, and Yen Sid himself sitting before them. Donald and Goofy get down on one knee to show their respects.

Naruto, however, has no respect. "Yensei! It's been so long! How are the fairies?"

"Naruto, show some respect!" Donald shouts, pushing him down.

Yensei, however, raises his hands to put them at ease a commissioned officer in the Army would to everyone else below him at attention. "Naruto, it's been a while. I've lost track of you about a year ago."

"Yeah," he begins. "It all went to sh-" Naruto stops, before mouthing out words to himself, eventually continuing with, "hell after Hollow Bastion. But once we defeated him at the End of the World, we thought it was over. But we just ran into Heartless outside! Not to mention I haven't gotten any closer to those three you told me about, Sasuke is still missing, and I haven't freed the other Biju just yet."

"Yeah! It's like everything we did was for nothing," adds Donald, still slightly frustrated. "What are we gonna do?"

Yen Sid gives them all his trademark stare, before closing his eyes to hum. He then says, "Do not fret my young apprentice. Have you at least met with Mickey?"

"Uh huh!" This comes from Goofy. "He gave us money to get here."

"Then, it wasn't all for naught. All it means is that you have a new journey to fulfill."

"A new one?" This is Donald.

"It's as you said Naruto; you still have many things to do before you can peacefully return home. And that is why you must prepare for this next journey. You've been lucky so far, but it is now that you must know your true strength, and surpass who you are to defeat the new enemies before you."

"But, how come the Heartless are still around?" asks Naruto this time.

"Your past endeavors have prevented an insurmountable number of Heartless from escaping the great darkness; make no mistake about that." He then flicks his hand, to show an illusion of Donald to their far right. "As you know, Heartless are created when one falls into the darkness of their heart."

Donald the illusion transforms into a Shadow. "You know this and know better than to fall into your darkness, but remember this; the Heartless are darkness made real. So while you know better, as long as darkness exists within a single heart, they will not only be difficult to eliminate but just as hard to protect others from."

Naruto looks between his two friends, realizing just how true his words are. Goofy then says, "Then if everyone's heart was filled with light, we'd all be safe from them."

Yen Sid nods with a smile, before pointing to the Heartless. A being appears beside it, that they recognize as that Dusk from earlier. "You may or may not have met this being before, but these will be the third enemies you will encounter. When a Heartless is born, sometimes the Body and Mind left behind will gain a will of its own and move. This is only when someone with a strong will, be they good or evil, becomes a Heartless."

Naruto sees it and nods when he realizes what that thing was now, and why it reminded him of a Heartless. Yen Sid continues. "An apparition of its former self, a spirit that lives on even as it slowly fades from existence… These are Nobodies, the remains of the Heartless. Because they have no hearts they have no emotions. Through their memories left with the Mind, they act according to how they used to, but this is all a ruse. These things that don't exist can only pretend to have feelings."

"They… don't exist?" Goofy asks.

The illusions then disappear, and three more Dusk images appear behind the trio. They turn around to face them as Yen Sid continues. "These are Dusks, the first and most common form of Nobody. On your journey, you will come across many Nobodies, and they will all attempt to do you harm. Otherwise, they wouldn't appear before you. Still, these and the other monsters are just lowly lifeforms destined to fall into darkness. Unfortunately, the Nobodies here are vastly different.

"I'm sure you recognize them." He flicks his hand, which reveals three people in black coats.

Seeing them, Naruto tenses up. "Wait, these are Nobodies?"

"The black coat can be worn by anyone who acquires it, but there exists an order who controls the lesser Nobodies, called Organization XIII. They've established themselves after the last members of Akatsuki have fallen."

"What?" Naruto flinches. "They were running Akatsuki… But how?"

"Heartless and Nobody are different entities in more than just appearance and power. The larger the darkness of one's Heart, the stronger the Heartless it produces, the more monstrous it appears. The greater the will of one's Heart, the stronger the Nobody it produces, the more human it appears. Nobodies exist on a higher function than Heartless; unlike the mindless beasts of darkness, they can think and plan. That's how they were able to take control of Akatsuki."

"Organization XIII…" Naruto turns to Donald and Goofy, but neither know of what they are.

"They remained in the shadows, working through Akatsuki as their cover while Ansem rampaged collecting the Seven Princesses of Hearts. Now since Kingdom Hearts was revealed they've started to take public action. The King knew the truth behind Ansem's actions and the connection with Organization XIII and took action beforehand. That's why he went to the Realm of Darkness."

"I see… Alright, let's go!" Naruto says. "If the king's fighting these bastards then we need to help him."

"Before you go, a parting gift." Yen Sid lifts his hands, handing over a book to Naruto.

"What this?" Naruto reads the title: "'The Guide to Keyblade Transformation'!?"

"It's time you learned how to control the Keyblade the way a Master is able to. This will be useful as you unleash more of your Drive's powers."

"Wow, thanks Yensei!" He picks up the book and immediately begins reading.

"One more thing before you part; you will need to fix your clothes to accompany the Keyblade Armor you will also receive." After saying this, Naruto looks at his clothes and realizes there are tears and faded colors after his year as an active Keyblade wielder. "The three fairies will help you with your outfit before you're on your way."

"Right." Naruto goes towards the door left of Yen Sid and enters alone. There he sees Flora, Fauna and Merryweather conversing.

They quickly notice him, and Fauna says, "Oh, welcome back Naruto."

"It's good to be back Fauna," he tells her with a heartfelt smile.

"We could hear what was going on in the other room. We'll set you on your way with this." Flora waves her red wand and summons a metal circle in his hand. This circle has a blue heart in a gold outline painted under a blue spiral on orange steel. It also comes with a crown attached to a necklace.

"Is this…"

"Master Yen Sid had this specially made for you, your very own special Keyblade Armor. When you use it, just remember it has no special effect on your current Drive forms. Use it to control powers that you cannot hold on your own." This is from Merryweather. "Next up, your clothes."

"Alright, remember how we practiced. No dillydallying either." All three back away and zap Naruto with their triple wand magic. Their magic instantly repairs the overwhelming dark powers that ruined it, to begin with. Not only does he look good as new, but the jacket of his clothes have changed as well; instead of being a jacket, it now more closely resembles a jinbaori. The coattails stretch down to reach his knees, are colored a dark blue with orange highlights as opposed to the opposite for the rest of his clothes. The same symbol on the armor piece is on the left breast of his armor.

Merryweather takes the armor piece and attaches it to his right arm. She also attaches the necklace around his neck, right next to his green crystal. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now off you go." With that, Naruto exists to show everyone his new and improved outfit. As he does, a blackbird looks down from the highest window at everything.

Naruto sees no one around. Curious he heads to the hallway, where he finds Donald, Goofy and Yen Sid standing there. Out the window, he spots the Gummi ship, the original the Chip and Dale relatives worked with. "Where did that come from?!"

"A Mr. Kaiba sent it from Hollow Bastion when I told him who it was for. It's all repaired as well, and ready to fly." Naruto joins his friends as they prepare to leave. "But first, three things."

"Three?"

"As I've told you before, the Nobodies can think and plan, and they've been working on one for a while. What it is, I don't know. But, the King sensed the danger. After sealing away the darkness with you, he now travels world to world fighting the Heartless in your absence while seeking to solve the riddle of Organization XIII. He feels a personal vendetta involved with them as if a connection to his past.

"The second thing is when you sealed the darkness and restored the worlds, the barriers that separated the worlds are now back. So travel isn't as easy, and the Lanes Between has long been closed off for the modern era. But don't fear; if what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel." This brings a bit of hope to them. "These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know..." They drop in disappointment. "However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide. When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts.

"And finally, on your travels, I need you to look after this one."

"Huh?" Yen Sid steps aside, drawing in the attention of the three world hoppers to witness a new person in front of them.

He is a boy as young as them, dressed in a similar outfit to Naruto. The short-sleeved hoodie is colored black, with silver pauldron-like additions to his sleeves and a white lining. His undershirt is emerald with a red patch in the center. His pants, similar to chaps, are colored black on the outside, also green on the inside, lined with silver-white edging. Yellow straps crisscross around his pants, held together with a black belt. The pants feature red pockets with a black cross over them. His gloves are colored black on the outside and white on the inside with a yellow line running around them. He also wears large black-red shoes with silver soles, a zipper running across the top, and yellow straps holding them together with buckles here and there.

"Uh, hi," he says, waving politely to the three in front of him like a nervous pervert.

"This here is Izuku Midoriya. He was with Mickey and brought here for training as you shortly after he left the realm of darkness." Naruto glances at Izuku with that explanation, recognizing a familiar look in his eyes.

"Another Keyblade wielder?"

"Why was he in the Realm of Darkness?" asks Donald after Goofy's question.

The elderly sorcerer steps aside further, putting Izuku on his right and our heroes on his left. "Izuku was there when the king entered the dark world to retrieve the Keyblade of Darkness. He will be going with you on your journey. I believe exposure to your experience will help draw out his inner power."

Once more the ninja gives Izuku a look, examining this green newcomer. It took him three years to reach the level of competency that defeated Maleficent's group. How could this guy close the distance?

"That's all I can tell you for now. As for Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato, I have an idea of how to help save them." Naruto perks up. "Focus on what you can do now. Once you face Organization XIII, you'll be able to save the Biju from their plight. Go forth, Naruto, Donald, Goofy, and Izuku."

With that, all four take off for the Gummi Ship. Once they're gone, Yen Sid smiles. And then it retreats into a frown. "So, I take it you're going to follow him? Or, will you finish what you couldn't?"

Behind him stands a man in a black coat. His face is revealed as Xutaron. "Yen Sid, thanks for not telling him I was here."

"I know you have your reasons. Otherwise, you would have merged back together with him," says the aged sorcerer before he turns around. "What will you do?"

"I need to remember everything. There are blocks in my memory before I sealed myself in Naruto with Kushina, and before I can merge back with him I gotta recover something."

"Then, you would be wise to make haste." Yen Sid points at his left arm, which is blinking in and out of reality. "You're starting to merge with him already when you two touched. Very soon, your Heart shall return to Naruto as well as half of his power."

"I know. I probably shouldn't have wasted time here, but thanks for telling me who I was," says Xutaron before he pulls over his hood. "By the way, I got all the Heartless that showed up, but there was this dark feeling coming from the basement. It was sealed inside this painting of a map on a table so I left it like that."

As he says this, Xutaron notices a dark look in his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing. It is not for you to be concerned with."

"Master Yen Sid!" The two of them hear Flora and Fauna coming to find him. Xutaron enters a portal of darkness just as the three fairies enter. "It's terrible! She's back!"

"Who is?"

"Maleficent!" says Merryweather out of total fear.

Shocked, Yen Sid follows them inside the chambers where they found her, only for nothing. The room is vastly empty. He gripes while stroking his beard. "Maleficent…"

* * *

Serena: In the next chapter Naruto and the others return to Hollow Bastion. Also, we hope you notice that we've changed things a bit so that Izuku from My Hero Academia joins in, following up from the first chapter prologue.


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